What is an ESN?
An ESN is a serial number attached to every phone on a CDMA network like Sprint or Verizon. Instead of using a SIM card like GSM networks do (At&t or T-Mobile,) a CDMA ESN is a unique identifier that allows the phone to be validated and connect to the cell tower. (To thwart confusion: if you have a SIM card, then you probably don’t have an ESN attached to your phone.) If a phone is stolen, claimed as an insurance loss, or used illegally, the carrier will usually block the ESN connected to that phone. A blacklisted ESN renders a phone unable to connect to the provider that issued it. CheckESNFree is an instant online web tool used by thousands of phone resellers across the internet. ESN checks done on this service aren’t quite as reliable as checking directly with the service provider. However, they are usually close enough. Just visit the website, type in your ESN, and click the Check button.
Note: The ESN is also known as the MEID and is usually found on the phone’s back underneath the battery.
If the ESN is good, you’ll see a green message saying it’s clean. If the ESN is bad, you’ll see a red message saying so. It’s pretty straightforward.
That’s all there is to check a phone’s ESN status online. A used phone can save you hundreds of dollars off the retail price, but it isn’t without its risks. Keep in mind that when buying a used phone, if the original owner reports it was stolen before you make the switch, the ESN will not be usable. However, you can usually circumvent this by showing the cellular provider proof of the sale. When all else fails, contact the service provider directly. If the iPhone is a Worldphone, it can connect to both GSM or CDMA. This means it still has a SIM card slot, and it has a ESN baked into the firmware. The upside to the Worldphone is that even if the ESN is bad, you can still connect to GSM networks via the SIM card as GSM networks do not check your ESN when authenticating. Hope that helps! NCIC is a database hosted by the FBI and CJIS of stolen electronics (among other things) where many law enforcement agencies enter the ESN, MEID, or IMEI of devices reported stolen. This is just a courtesy only. MSPcom is MyStolenPhone.com – a site/service we offer for free to help build awareness to lost or stolen mobile devices. At MSPcom you can submit your lost or stolen device’s ESN, MEID, or IMEI so that if it is ever searched by one of the thousands of services that use CheckESNFree.com, we can alert the individual who “checked” the device and let them know it has been reported to us as being lost or stolen and provide them with the contact details of the individual who reported it. If it isn’t flagged as lost or stolen, you can use it on AT&T or any of AT&T’s prepaid services. Comment Name * Email *
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